PAWSitively Sinister (A Klepto Cat Mystery Book 11) Read Online Free Page B

that thing for… cremation?”
    “No Bible pages; no ashes,” Michael said in an attempt to quell their wild imaginations.
    “So what is it, Michael?” Savannah asked.
    “Nothing,” he said, lifting the heavy lid to show her. “It’s empty.”
    As everyone contemplated the situation, Rags strutted toward the box. Koko, noticing him, appeared from behind the incinerator, ran up, and rubbed against her feline friend. Together, they sniffed at the object. Koko stepped gingerly into the box and nosed around while Rags seemed to be taking in the scents around the exterior. When Arthur saw Koko hop out of the box, jump into the circle of rocks, and peer into the hole left by the extraction, he followed her. “What is it, Koko?” He turned to the others. “Hey, check this out. There’s like a cavern down there. Do we have a light?”
    “I saw a flashlight someplace,” Suzette said. She snapped her fingers, saying, “Oh, I remember where. I’ll go get it.”
    “Hmm,” Michael mumbled as he joined Arthur. “Looks like erosion—maybe water from the pond worked its way under that box and… ”
    “So that hole could be full of water?” Arthur asked.
    Michael ran his hand through his hair and glanced around the area. “Probably not. It’s been a dry year. Maybe in the past, though.”
    Rags tugged at his leash and Savannah moved closer to the abandoned pond, allowing him enough slack to follow Koko. When she saw the Siamese leaning over the edge as if she were about to jump, she said, “Should you let her go in there? It could be deep.” She took a step back. “It might be full of rattlesnakes.”
    Before anyone could react, Koko leaped onto a ledge about two feet down in the hole and promptly disappeared. Rags pulled against his leash, eager to join her. But before he could follow, Michael picked him up.
    “Here’s a flashlight,” Suzette said upon returning.
    Arthur quickly took it and knelt, shining the light around in the hole. “Where’d she go, anyway?” Suddenly, he caught a glimpse of the Siamese cat. “Oh my gosh! She’s down in the bottom. Dang.” He faced the others, frowning. “I don’t know how she’s going to get out of there.”
    “Is she okay?” Savannah asked. “I mean, did she fall? She’s not hurt, is she?”
    Arthur shook his head. “I don’t think so. She looks okay.”
    “See that sloping side right there?” Michael said, pointing. “She probably slid down there and made a soft landing.”
    “Well, it looks too steep for her to climb out, don’t you think, Michael?”
    “Probably,” he said. “Don’t worry, Arthur, we’ll get her out… even if we have to call the fire department.” He leaned over the opening, straining to see beyond the protrusion. “Wait… what’s that?”
    “What?” Arthur asked.
    Michael pointed into the pit. “She’s pawing at something. Shine your light to the right a little. See that piece of paper?”
    “Paper?” Savannah said. “Maybe it is the lost books of the Bible.”
    “Burned-up paper?” Suzette asked.
    “Doesn’t look like it,” Arthur said. “That’s odd, isn’t it?”
    Suzette moved closer. “What kind of paper is it? A newspaper from the 1800s?”
    “No,” Arthur said, squinting into the cavernous depths. “There’s another one. They look more like documents.”
    “Can you command your cat to bring one up for us to see?” Savannah asked, chuckling a little.
    Arthur shook his head. “I don’t think so.” He turned toward the others and said excitedly, “… but I have a telescope. I wonder if we could read them through the telescope. I’ll go get it… if it hasn’t been sold,” he added, laughing.
    While Arthur was gone, Michael used the flashlight to further examine the inside of the cavity. “How is she going to get out?” he asked, thinking out loud. He sat back on his heels. “I wonder if there’s a ladder around here anyplace.”
    “Are you thinking about climbing down and getting